Can children do evil?

Question

The Spaced Guy said: "Evil is caused when we choose to do things contrary to God's will."

So can children, who still believe in Santa Clause like they do God, really comprehend God's Will? If they can't, it wouldn't seem their mistakes would be considered evil.

So how could original sin exist? It would seem people weren't capable of doing evil (in the Christian sense) unless they were of at least adolescent age, so they could really understand the bible.

Answer 1

Yes most definitely , children as young as five have bashed and murdered people so yes they do evil

God Bless You

Answer 2

Tough questions! ;-)

Children were born under the curse. What is the curse? Death.

We all die. Anything living will eventually die. That is the curse.

Kids and God's will?

How will God judge someone who has never heard the gospel of christ let alone no how to live?

If salvation comes from faith and belief in christ then what about an isolated tribe of people who never seen anyone other than their people let alone hear the gospel.

The same goes for kids. How can a kid possibly understand God's will let alone the gospel?

Well, sin is willful disobedience right? And faith is willful belief right?

If a child cannot understand the gospel or God's will how can it understand sin?

If it cannot undertand sin then how can it be found in the act of sinning?

We established that it is under the curse, that is, death.

But is a child in fear of judgement?

No. If a child cannot willfully sin and understand what it did was sin how can it then be judged?

Before the law of the old testament there was no real thing defining sin. Really, a person was righteous for having faith alone in God (Abraham, Noah, etc.)

The only original sin was eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So my point is, a child doesn't understand God's will or the gospel any more than it understands biblical sin.

The answer can be implied from Revelation:

Revelation 20
12And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

Not ever hearing the gospel it seems that they will be judged according to their deeds in life. So, if a child cannot do evil deeds knowing it is sinful, I fail to see how they will not enter into life.

Original sin is a doctrine that not everyone believes. Through sin death entered into the world. We all die.

Children I will say, do not understand or make evil decisions because they do not understand what good is either. At some point they do...

Answer 3

Evil is doing things that are morally and socially unacceptable. A child is quite capable of committing evil actions. My roommate works for CPS and she has had to deal with families where the 5 year olds are beating up babies in foster homes. This is evil. They need not understand God's will in order to commit evil. Rather, they know what is right and wrong, good or evil, and morally acceptable based on their parents/teachers/peers/society. Perhaps by passing down God's will in the form of rules and such to children. I'm agnostic. I don't think evil requires God at all. I don't believe in God, thus God has no will, yet I can still commit evil.

Answer 4

I think children are entirely capable of doing evil, but they often don't recognize it as what adults think of as evil. Children, even very young ones, often know that they are doing something contrary to what they've been taught is appropriate - anyone who has children can tell you that. In the Catholic tradition, the age of 7 is thought to be the point at which children "know" right from wrong - but I think it's more individual than that.

Answer 5

They can do evil, yes, but, they are not held accountable of it, until they know the will of God. Then automatically this makes them want to repent of their evils. Doing it, and being held accountable are two different issues. Man holds children accountable though. They even hold accidental deaths accountable, when God said not to do that.

Answer 6

We are born into this world sinful and unclean. Just because you don't know better doesn't make it right in gods eyes.

Answer 7

M-80 in a bullfrog's butt.
ring a bell?

Answer 8

I haven't met a child yet that did not know how to misbehave. It is born into them. They already know how to sin. We have to teach them what is right, because they already know what is wrong behavior.

Answer 9

um even says that in the bible, there wasnt sin until adam and eve ate of the "tree of knowledge" where they obtained the knowledge of right and wrong.

Answer 10

some children are authentic little brats. i might want to pick to homicide them myself. in spite of the undeniable fact that the Bible says interior the ten Commandments, "Thou shalt do no homicide." So no, mothers and fathers received't homicide their children.